Final answer:
When a packet needs to be sent to every host in the network, the most suitable transmission mode is broadcast. This method sends a message from one sender to all devices on the network segment, whereas other modes like unicast, multicast, and anycast have specific one-to-one, one-to-many, or nearest-multiple destination functionality respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a packet needs to be sent to every host on the network, the most appropriate transmission mode to use is broadcast. Broadcast transmission is a method where a message is sent from a single sender to all recipients within the network segment. This is particularly useful when the message needs to reach all devices, such as network management or control messages.
The other options mentioned, such as unicast, multicast, and anycast, serve different purposes. Unicast is designed for one-to-one communication, sending data from one sender to one receiver. Multicast is utilized for one-to-many communication, where data is transmitted from a single sender to multiple specific hosts that have expressed interest in receiving the multicast stream. Anycast operates by sending data from one single sender to the nearest or most accessible of multiple potential receivers that provide the same functionality or service.
Therefore, when the requirement is to reach every single host within a network without discrimination, broadcast is the mode that broadly disseminates the data to all hosts connected to the network. It’s important to note, however, that broadcast is not efficient for large scale networks like the internet, as it would lead to a significant amount of unnecessary data traffic and potential network congestion.